A variety of hygiene products have been created to meet the specific, particular needs of women. Such products include sanitary napkins, catamenial or other vaginal tampons, panty liners/panty shields and towelettes. These products are sold in a variety of sizes and shapes. Women differ as to their uses of the products. The uses vary from a use of only one product in one size and shape to use of a combination of products in varying sizes and shapes. For example, on a particular day, a woman may desire to use a particular size and shape of tampon and a particular size and shape of panty liners/panty shields plus towelettes.
Although the uses of products vary, a need common to all women is convenience. Quite simply, women need to have, and want to have, ready access to whichever products they desire to use. Also, when a variety of products will be used, in order to be accessible, all of the products must be in close proximity to one another at the time of desired use.
A woman's need to have selected feminine hygiene products readily accessible becomes even more important, and perhaps critical, when she is away from home. In order to gain quick access to the products, the most convenient place for storage away from the home is within a pocketbook or purse. Other storage possibilities include cosmetic bags, brief cases, desk drawers, glove compartments of motor vehicles, or on the person, possibly in a pocket of an article of clothing which is worn. If a woman is attempting to maintain more than one product item in a pocketbook, purse, bag, brief case, drawer or compartment in a vehicle, the products normally become separated from each other and become intermingled with other sundry items which are kept in the same place. The products are then not as readily accessible as they should be. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a case which is specifically designed for housing a variety of feminine hygiene products of various sizes, shapes, and configurations, which neatly and securely holds those products in place within the case, and which allows quick and easy access to those products.
It is important that feminine hygiene products be protected from contamination or sullying because of the intimate nature of their use. Carrying or storing hygiene products in a pocketbook, purse, bag, brief case, drawer or compartment of a vehicle, or carrying such products on the person for an extended period of time, exposes the products to the risk of contamination from the immediate environment. Pocketbooks, purses, bags, brief cases, drawers, and motor vehicle compartments are not generally considered sterile or aseptic environments. Neither are the pockets of an article of clothing which is worn by an individual in the normal course of daily activity. Thus, the products must be enclosed, and further, should be enclosed by means which are not easily penetrable.
An additional measure of protection is necessary for tampons. Tampons and the cylindrical or rod-like applicators which are used to insert them must not be bent or folded. Deodorant tampon packages and towelette packages present additional problems in that they must be protected from damage due to bending because bending and shearing is likely to cause the packages to tear open. This would allow the moisture element present in the enclosed article to escape. A rigid carrying case would be most suitable to provide protection against bending and similar damage as well as protection against contamination or sullying.
Many women desire discretion in the manner in which they transport feminine hygiene products. If a woman is away from home and has to use feminine hygiene products, she will normally have to go to a restroom to do so. The restroom is usually public or semi-public. She will have to transport the hygiene products to the restroom. In doing so, she will want to have all of the products she plans to use readily accessible and will want her travel to the restroom to be discreet. Discretion normally requires that the hygiene items not be transported in plain view. Discretion and taste limit the choices of transport to pocketbooks, purses, or clothing. However, having to carry a pocketbook or purse to the restroom soley for the purpose of transporting hygiene items can be undesirable to some women. They feel that it is unneccessary and unreasonable to have to transport a pocketbook full of unneeded, divers items to obtain the use of a few products. If a woman's purse is sufficiently small, it is undesirable as a method of transport because it will not be able to contain the necessary items. Use of clothing is often undesirable as a method of transport because it requires that the clothing contain pockets of sufficient size to conceal the hygiene articles or it requires that the articles be concealed in sleeves or other clothing parts ill-suited for that purpose. The use of clothing also means that the hygiene items to be transported must be taken from their immediate place of storage and placed in the clothing or under the clothing upon the person. This cannot always be accomplished discreetly or tastefully. In addition, many women would prefer that an accessory item such as a case which would be used to transport feminine hygiene products have stylish characteristics.
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that it is important to have a case for feminine hygiene products which can be used to discreetly transport feminine hygiene products and which is aesthetically pleasing.
Accordingly, it will also be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a case which incorporates the above characteristics and which is both lightweight and durable.
Accordingly, it will be further appreciated that it would be desirable to have a case which incorporates the characteristics discussed above, which is made from inexpensive materials.
Containers and cases for general and specific purposes other than holding feminine hygiene products are numerous. However, none appear to be suitable to meet the needs described above. The following are a few examples of U.S. patents which have issued for such containers and cases:
______________________________________ Inventor(s) U.S. Pat. No. ______________________________________ Stephenson D291,268 Campello 4,555,020 Klinger 4,524,871 Bosworth D275,713 Parkhurst 4,461,332 Cruz D274,693 Geer 4,421,137 Rutherford D270,387 Papciak D254,219 Herring D252,115 Lehn D243,831 Edwards D240,353 Paola D236,556 Ash D212,068 Swett 3,484,035 Fluss D188,959 Ganz D169,311 Van Dyke D168,664 Weiss D155,058 Kaplan 2,471,963 Worley D144,533 Reinecke D132,458 Menn D121,595 Sampson 2,215,480 MacDonald 2,161,715 Graff D111,537 Graff D111,536 Ridenour D109,358 Hannings 2,102,414 Greenberg 1,592,457 ______________________________________
Prior cases for feminine hygiene products are not suitable for carrying and protecting a variety of modern-day feminine hygiene products. There are flexible cases, cases for containing a single item, and cases for carrying a single type of item.
A manufacturer of products may occassionally include as a part of its sale of a box of tampons or other products, a small container for carrying two or three of the manufacturer's own particular product. For example, the Kotex company will occasionally provide a temporary carrying case for holding 3 or 4 of the company's panty liners. Also, the Tambrands company will occasionally include with a package of its tampons a case for carrying 2 or 3 of the tampons with which the case is packaged. Cases specifically designed to house a variety of feminine hygiene products of various sizes do not appear to currently exist in the market place.
Cases for feminine hygiene products for which patents have issued are not effective for housing a variety of feminine hygiene products.
U. S. Pat. No. 4,286,639 to Murphy discloses a flexible, flat wallet-like case for enclosing a single tampon or sanitary napkin. Murphy's teaching is directed to a single-pocket case with the additional object of maintaining thinness. The characteristics of thinness, flexibility and the ability to hold only one tampon or sanitary napkin limit the usefulness of Murphy's invention. It is not suitable for carrying a variety of feminine hygiene products.
U. S. Pat. No. 3,557,853 to Jones discloses a foldable cloth bag for carrying one or two sanitary napkins.
U. S. Pat. No. 2,843,170 to Frankfurt discloses a flexible case for sanitary napkins. The primary disadvantages of the case are that it is flexible and it is configured to primarily accommodate sanitary napkins. In addition, the case's general construction, including its combination of zippers and snaps, does not provide an easily accessible case.